GO Lakeshore rail corridor to be extended by 20 km; 4 new stations

GO Transit’s Lakeshore East rail corridor to offer new GO train service from Oshawa to Bowmanville is to be extended by nearly 20 kilometres.

The Ontario Government has announced that there will also be four new stations built – which will give the people in Durham region more transit options and help drive economic growth and job creation.

Premier Kathleen Wynne was in Bowmanville on Monday to make the announcement. Through Metrolinx, the province’s regional transportation authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), Ontario is working with CP Rail on infrastructure and service planning for the extension, a portion of which will use CP Rail’s existing corridor north of Highway 401.

Wynne said: “Expanding GO train service in Durham Region will make a real difference to people’s lives and Ontario’s economy. We want people, communities and business to be seamlessly connected to one another and prosper together. This is what our record investments in infrastructure are building for Ontario.”

Reduce congestion

Expanded rail service will provide Durham Region with more direct connections to the larger GO transit network, helping to reduce congestion in the GTHA and connecting people to jobs. This will also help minimize greenhouse gas pollution by reducing car trips and improve travel times.

Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province’s history — about $160 billion over 12 years. This is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.

Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, said: “Our government is listening to local needs, and this is great news for commuters in Bowmanville and Durham Region. This expansion will provide a direct rail connection to the broader GO network.”

Currently, GO trains on the Lakeshore East corridor go as far as Oshawa, and GO provides bus service between Oshawa and Bowmanville every 30 minutes, with increased frequency at peak hours.

Since 2013, Metrolinx has added 171 new weekly GO train trips and 167 new weekly GO bus trips for residents in Durham Region.

The new GO rail service is expected to begin by 2023-24.

The four new stations will be at Thornton Road in Oshawa, Ritson Road in Oshawa, Courtice Road in Courtice and Martin Road in Bowmanville.

Metrolinx is transforming the GO rail network to provide faster and more frequent GO train service across the region, with electrification of core segments of the network. Weekly trips across the entire GO rail network are expected to grow from about 1,500 to nearly 6,000 over 10 years.

Ontario is investing $31.5 billion over 10 years in transit, roads, bridges and highways, including about $16 billion for rapid transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. – CINEWS